1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to electronic document copiers with multi-page electronic memories, and more particularly to providing such copiers with the capability of receiving and storing a plurality of jobs in such memories.
2. Background Art
Electronic document copiers are known that include a buffer memory for electronically storing scanned image data and printing instructions for a plurality of pages of a job. An advantage of such copiers is that originals need be scanned only once, even to make multiple copies for either collated or non-collated sets. Once stored, the pages can be printed as often as desired to produce a plurality of such sets.
Such copiers are limited to storage of only single jobs, and most jobs will not utilize the memory's full capacity. Operators desiring to copy second and subsequent jobs must stand by the scanner and wait for the job being run to be completed before being able to begin scanning the next job into the memory.
However, the number of originals which could be processed by the memory is limited only by the capacity of the memory, considering the image content and data compression. The present invention makes use of this memory capacity and provides operators with the ability to scan all or at least a portion of new jobs into the memory, even while the memory is busy processing prior jobs. Many document copiers are used in "walk-up" environments, which makes job queueing even more desirable so that the user can return to his or her work place while the job is waiting to be produced.